Electric-circuit controller.



H. M. ABERNETHY.

ELECTRIC CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZS, 1908.

1,049,636, Patented Jan.7,1913.

7 @Jvwgmtoz witnuozo m y? Mam UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY ABERNETHY, OF CLEVELAND. OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO TIIE AMERICAN RAIL- WAY SIGNAL COMPANY. OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

ELECTRIC-CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

; Patented Jan. "7, 1913.

' Application flledMay 25, 1908. Serial No. 434,762.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it knownthat I, HARRY M. ABER- NETHY, a citizen of the United States, re-

siding at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Circuit Controllers, of which the following is' as'pecification.

This invention relates to electric circuit controllers, and its primary object is, to

provide a circuit controllerof simple and inexpensive construction provided with a series of adjustable contact plates and means for preventing the accidental movement or disarrangementof said plates, and is especially designed for use in connection with electrically operated railway semaphore signals.

A further object of the invention is to provide a circuit controller comprising a .series or plurality of independent rings or sections adapted to be assembled and secured together upon a supporting sleeve or shaft, a series of metallic contact plates adjustably secured upon said rings or sections,

and means for preventing the accidental movement or'displacement of said metallic contact plates. 1

The construction of the improvement will be fully described hereinafter, in connection with the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification, and its features of novelty will be set forth and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a circuit controller embodymg the invention. Fig. 2, is a longitudinal section of the same on the line H of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the rin s or sections of insulating ma-' terial emp oyed, the same being formed of two segments. Fig. 4. is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a view in pers ective of one of the contact lates, and ig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5. The hollow cylindrical structure constituting the body portion of the controller is made up of a series of rings of insulating material, said rings being preferably divided centrally to provide segments to adapt them to be readily placed in position upon a sup orting sleeve or shaft (not shown) and t 0 rings are so assembled as to break joints as shown in Fig. 1. As all of the sectional rings are of similar construction a specific description of one will suffice for all.

One face of the ring is formed with two concentric grooves designated by the reference numerals 1 and 2 respectively, .the inner groove 1 being of rectangular cross section, while the outer groove 2 is of triangular cross section. Extending across the inner groove 1 from the inner side of the ring are a series of equidistant perforated lugs 3, the lugs of all of the rings alining to receive bolts 4 which secure the rings together and are provided with nuts 5. With- 1n the groove 1, or the spaces between the lugs 3 are arranged'nuts 6, and the outer groove 2 receives'a dovetail rib -or flange 7 projecting from the inner surface of av segmental metallic contact plate 8.

It will be apparent from the section shown in Fig. 2, that the outer grooves 2 of the two adjacent rings provide a dovetail seat for the rib or flange 7 of the contact plate, said flange being held between the two rings. To clamp the contact plates against longitudinal movement a screw 9 is passed through an opening formed in the plate and into one of the nuts 6. The tightening of the screw 9 clamps the nut firmly against the outer wall of the inner groove 1 and thus holds the contact plate against movement. The nuts 6 which are not engaged by the screw are loosely supported within the groove 1, the lugs 3' serving as stops to limit their movement. When it is desired to adjust the contact plate the screw 9 is disconnected from the nut which holds it, after which the plate is adjusted to the desired point and the screw is connected to the. nut adjacent thereto. It is obvious that any desired number of rings may be employed, and alsothatthe segmental contact plates may be of any desired length and number.

The several rings are interchangeableand the flat face of each is -countersunk as at 10 to receive the heads of the bolts and the nuts which secure said bolts.

I would have it understoodthat the invention includes all such variations and modlfications in the details of construction as may fall within the terms and scope of the following claims.

' Patent-is:,- w 1 [1. A circuit-controller comprising, a series. 5 of sectionsjor members each formedon one. side with concentric grooves, adjustable concentric grooves, means for, securing said I fiaving thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters metallic contacts, and movable means carried byv and between two of the sections adapted to secure said metallic contacts.

2. A circuit controller comprising, a series of grooved sections or members: each member formed on one sidle with concentric grooves, means for securing said sections or members, adjustable dovetail. metallic contacts, and movable means carried by and between two of the sections forsecuring said contacts to the said sectionsor members;

3.'A circuit controller comprising a hollow cylinder made up of rings of insulating material each ring formed on one side with rings together, metallic contact plates adjustably secured upon said-rings and movable securing means carried by and between two of the rings tor.preventing'accidental displacement of said contact plates.

4. A circuit controller comprising a; hol- 7 low cylinder made up of rings of insulating material each ring formed on one side with rings together, segmental metallic contact plates adj'ustably securedupon said rings and provided on their inner faces with dove- .tail ri s and'movable securing means carried by an between two of the rings for preventing accidental displacement of said contact plates. Y 5'. A circuit controller comprisinga hollow" ing materialeach-for'med on one side with concentric grooves, means-for securing said rings together, segmental metallicv contact plates'provided on their inner faces with I dovetail ribs fitting 'within one of said concentric grooves, means for securing said cylinder consisting of rings of insulat--.

grooves, and meanswithin the other groove for preventing accidental displacement of said contact plates.

6. circuit controller comprising a hollow cylinder consisting of rings of insulating material each formed on one side with concentric grooves, means for securing said rings together, segmental metallic contact plates provided ontheir inner faces with dovetail ribs fitting within one of said grooves, and means within the other groove 7. A circuit controller comprising a hollow cylinder made-up of independent rings of insulating material, each formed on one side with concentric grooves, and with equidistant lugs serving as stops the spaces be tween said lugs being adapted to receive nuts, mea'nsfor securing said rings together, segmental contact plates provided on their inner faces with dovetail ribs fitting within the outer grooves of the rings, and means for preventing accidental displacement of said plates. 1

8. A circuit controller comprising a hollow' cylinder made up of independent rings of insulating naterial, each formed on one side with concentric grooves, and with equidistant lugs, means for securing said rings together, segmental contact plates provided on their inner faces with dovetail ribs fitting within the outer grooves of the rings, and

means for preventing accidental displacement of said plates comprising screws extending through .said plates, and nuts arranged within the inner grooves of said rings betweensaid lugs.

HARRY M. ABERNETHY. In presence of-- -MaY M. PLYER,

F. O. McCmAnv. 

